The Golden Cage
by Melissa Flint
Summary: Voldemort won the war, bloodlines were made high priority to keep and maintain, magic blood should not be polluted nor thinned and the fate of the survival of the magic-race, was left in the hands of the male heirs to the oldest, strongest and riches families. There are rules now, men run and rule our world and we are mere cattle. Oneshot/High Rating for Dark Content/Implied


The golden cage

Voldemort won the war, bloodlines were made high priority to keep and maintain, magic blood should not be polluted nor thinned and the fate of the survival of the magic-race, was left in the hands of the male heirs to the oldest, strongest and riches families. We have to do tests, if you're muggle-born, you can save your skin by showing excellent magical skills, purebloods have to do the test as well and not everyone passed. There are rules now, men run and rule our world and we are mere cattle.

Susan looked at Alicia as she sat down in the chair across from her, Pansy had just left her company to join her husband in a waltz. The read head nervously twirled the ring around her finger as she eyed the dark haired former Gryffindor in front of her.

"Did you hear?

Alicia turned her attention to the red-head in the chair across from her.

"Hear what?"

"Katie got a Bone-Biter"

Alicia wringed, tugging at the jewelled collar she was wearing.

"I can't say I'm surprised, it's Flint after all"

Alicia Warrington hadn't been too fortunate and neither had Susan Macmillian but nothing came close to the fate of their friend. Susan was considered blessed for wearing a simple ring, she was a gentle girl and had become a mellow woman, broken by war and loss, a simple spell and a promise was all it took to bind her. Then again, Ernie Macmillian wasn't a bad husband, he was more than she could have hoped for so she did not complain. Alicia had been more troublesome but it was foreseen therefor; the collar. It was stronger, it limited her magic abilities and Cassius had threatened with worse, should she choose to fight him. She believed him.

"Have you seen her?"

The dark haired scanned the room for her former friend and teammate but Susan shook her head.

"No, I just heard from Pansy, the girl was positively bursting to tell"

Alicia groaned

"Yes, a more horrid person is hard to find, no surprised that something like that would pleasure her"

As a set of dress robes swished by and the person in question plopped down into a chair between them, Alicia and Susan both looked at her before meeting each other's eyes. Susan chewed her lip and Alicia opened her mouth as if to speak but apparently changed her mind. Both their eyes wandered to her hands but one covered the other; they could not see the item in question. Katie sneered.

"Stop it!"

Both women flinched, casting quick glances around the room. Susan muttered a low apology as she ran a hand over her hair, making sure it was in place. Katie's cold eyes lingered at the two women, two people she used to know, two girls she had grown up with and whom she used to know. The silence lingered between them for the longest time, Susan was watching the people dancing, Alicia fiddled with her collar and Katie watched the fire in the fireplace with empty eyes. She was the one to break the silence.

"It's Hell!"

Susan and Alicia both looked at her before nervously looking away. Alicia sighed and chewed her bottom lip for a few moments before she spoke, softly and in a cautious tone

"I cannot imagine it would be anything less"

Katie eyed the women across from her for a few minutes before pulling her right hand out from under her left. Gingerly extending it towards them, for them to see, she bit her lip and whispered.

"The pain is unbearable"

Susan gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth, Alicia merely starred with a pained look on her face.

"And he won't let me take anything for the pain"

Susan pressed her eyes shut and turned her head away, Alicia's eyes blazed with anger.

"That troll!"

Susan quickly schussed her before casting nervous glances at the people around them, hoping and praying that no one had heard her.

"Careful…"

Alicia clenched her teeth, her face pulled into a vicious sneer as she tried to speak but the anger worked against her ability to form words. Susan took Katie's hand, carefully and gently turned it into the light of the fireplace. Her eyes scanned over the angry bites on each side of her knuckle, the silver penetrating the skin, the greenish tint to her skin, either an infection or something … else.

"Oh sweetie…"

Katie choked back a sob as she pulled her hand out of those of the red-head.

"It doesn't matter anymore, nothing does…"

((A/N: drabble, nothing more and nothing less, just a small conversation stuck in my brain for a few weeks now))

The kind Rockust pointed out that naming this 'The Golden Cage' was not obvious but I will explain myself: They are caged and bound by jewellery, items made from precious metals hence the name


End file.
